Lock



L. T. DIEBQLT.

LOCK. APPLICATIQN FILED JULY 22,1919- I 1,350,21 3. Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

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ATTORNEY.

L. T. DIEBOLT.

' LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22,1919- 1 350,2 1 3 Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

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WITNESSES INV EN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

IEUNITEDISTATES PATE NT OFFICE.

' Lew s 1'. DIEBOLT, or LOGANSPOET, INDIANA.

Specificati LOCK.

Application filed July 22. 1919. Serial No.

T. DIEnoLT,

residing at Cass and d new and f which the This invention relates to looks and has particular reference to means employed for locking the steering post of ,a motor vehicle, against movement, with a view of preventing access of the machine, for its use by unauthorized persons. 1 i Y To this end, the inventionmakes use of a casing having a cover, which may be locked in any suitable manner, the steering post projecting through the casing and ating with manually operable means arranged within the casing,

for holding the steering post against movement, which ob-- viously prevents the machine from being properly steered or guided should the same be moved.

It is also thev object of this invention, to arrange the ignition switch or operating element within the casing,

owner from the machine.-

so they cannot be tampered with during the absence of the In carrying out the invention, the cover having designed to provide a compartment for combinaits closed Other objects and advantages will appear when the following detail description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, the invention residing inthe construction, combination and partsvas claimed.

In the drawings forming specification, like numerals. dicatesimilar parts wherein:v

Figure l is a view of amachine sociated therewith.

arrangement of part of the of reference inin the several views and fragmentary perspective show-mg the invention as- Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the instrument board of the ma chine and the casing in which the locking mechanism is arranged.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional through the same parts.

view taken on of Letters Patent.

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical sectional view taken transversel through the steering Patented Aug. 17, 1920. v

cludes front and rear walls 11 and 12 respectively, top and bottom walls 13 and 14 respectively and end walls 15. The front wall 11 is provided with an openingto permit access to the interior of the casing, this opening being normally closed by a cover 16 which is preferably hinged upon the front wall as at 17. The casing 10 is arrangedwithin the hood 18 of the machine and secured in any suitable manner upon the adjacent side of the instrument'board 19. This'boa'rd is provided with anenlarged opening, of a size and configuration 'to'ac commodate the cover 16, the latter being arranged to lie flush with the opposite side of the board as shown in Fig. 1, j I

Arranged within the casing 10 is an arm 20, the latter being vertically disposed, and suitably secured to the front wall 11. This arm however is obliquely disposed with re spect to the said front walls so as to be spaced therefrom. The free extremity of the arm is bifurcated as at 21ffor a purpose to be presently described, while the separated portions 22 defined by said bifurcation are provided with alined ings 23. Fixed to the rear wall 12 is a bear ing 24 including a hollow boss 25 which slidably receives the adj acent end of a looking bolt 26 the opposite end 27 .thereof being arranged to slide through the'openings 23 of the arm 20. The steering post 28 passes through the casing operating in suitable bearings in the front and rear walls 11 and'12 respectivel the post 28 being ar: ranged in close proximation to the arm20. A disk 29 is fixed upon the post 28 for rotation therewith, the "disk being arranged to operate between the separated. portions 22 ofthe arm 20. To permit of the proper manipulation of the steering mechanism,

apertures or openthe bolt 26 is normally disposed with its end 27 out of the path of movement of the disk 29, but when it is desired to lock the steering post against movement, to prevent use of the machine during the absence of the user, the bolt 26 is actuated to pass through the slot 30 of the disk and also through the openings 23 of the separator 22 of. the arm. It isof course manifest,'that the steering post must be rotated to bring the slot 30 of the disk in alinement with the openings 23, to permit of free passageof the bolt'26 through said parts for thepurpose just mentioned. It is to be understood however, that the slot. 30 may bearranged or, disposed with relation to the posts 28, so that when the slot 30 is brought intoregistration with the openings 23, the front wheels of the vehicle may be either .in straight away position,'0r arranged at an angle with respect to the curve orthe side of the post. 7

Any suitable means may be employed for actuating 'thebolt26, but. as shown in this specificnnstanc e, use is made of a shaft 31 journaled in apertnred lugs 32, projecting from a base plate 33 which is secured to the bottom 14 of the casing. Fixed to one end o'fthe shaft is a manually operable lever 34 disposed in parallelism with the finger 35 secured to the opposite end of the shaft for rotation therewith. The intermediate portion of the bolt is squared as at 36 and provided with a slot 37 for the reception of the adjacent extremity of the finger 35. Manifestly, the lever 34 is moved in the direction of the front wall 11, the finger 35 is actuated to adjust the locking bolt to its active position. The squared intermediate portion 36 ofthe bolt, provides the latter with shoulders 38 which limits the move .ment of the bolt both toward and away from the 'arm 20. A member 39 projects forwardly from-the rear wall 12 and is provided at an appropriate point in its length with a lug 40 by beveling or cutting away the member 39 as at41. The lever 34 oonormal position, and

acts with the lug 40 in holding thebolt '26 immovable in either active or inactive position. In other words, the lever 34 engages the lug at one side when the bolt 26 -is'in I subsequent to the adjustment of the bolt, to active position, the lever 34' is arranged to engage ,the opposite side of the lugthereby holding the parts including the-steering post 28 in fixed position.

Arranged within the casing 10 and secured to the rear wall 12 in the bottom 14 thereof is. a' strip 42 which supports the switch" operating element 43 which controls the lamp circuit. and the ignition: system of the machine, [By reason of this arrangement, it isobviousthat'the switch elements are concealed from view and locked within 'cover for rotating said the casing so that they cannot with by unauthorized persons, during the absence of the owner from the machine.

The cover 16 for the casing is designed to provide. a compartment 44 for the reception of a lock mechanism by whichthe cover is secured in closed position. While any suit able means may be employed for this purpose, I preferably make use of a main locking bolt 45whichoperates through an opening in one end ofthe cover, and simultaneously movable auxiliary bolts 46 and 47 respectively, which operate to openings in the opposite sides of the cover. All 'of-the said bolts are provided with rack teeth 49 which mesh with the teeth of a. cog 50, so that by rotating the latter in reverse direction, the bolts 45,46 and 47 will be thrown into and out of engagement with the front wall 11 of the casing. The cog wheel. 50 is fixed upon a shaft 51 journaled within the compartment for rotation and projecting beyond the cover to accommodate a handle 52. The bolts 45, 46 and 47. formpart of a combination lock mechanism, which also includes a. plurality of. super-imposed gear wheels 53 of varying diameters, and all mounted for rotation upon the shaft. These gears are arranged in pairs, eachpair including alarge gear and a relatively small gear fixed relatively. The large gears are provided with relatively short notches 54 and a relatively deep notch 55. A pinion 56 is provided for each of the smallgears, and each pinion is. carried by one of the shafts 57 journaled within'the compartment 44 for rotation. The shafts 57 are provided with knobs 58 arranged exteriorly of the shaft, with a view of bringing the relatively deeper notches 55. of said gears into registration with eachother, and in alinement with the main locking bolt 44. The disposition of parts is such that this is necessary before the locking bolts 45, 46 and 47 can be actuated, as the main locking bolt 45 must be within the deep notches 55 of the gears when retracted. Consequently, the cover 16 cannotbe' opened by anyone except those familiar with the combination, and as is the case with any combination lock, the vcombination can 'be n changed. from time to time. 7

In addition to the combination =mechanism, the cover is also provided with a key actuated bolt 59, which is adapted to be projected into a notch or recess 60, in one of the auxiliary bolts 46, thus requiringthe be tampered by means of the key actuated bolt 59. The invention will not only serve to prevent the access of machines, but is designed to permit of its application to. any type or make of car without any alterations or modifications.

,l/Vhile I have shown and described what I consider the preferred embodiment of the invention, I desire to have it' understood that this is merely illustrative, that I do not limit myself to the exacteonstruction and arrangement of parts disclosed, and that such changes may be resorted to when desired as fall within the scope of what is claimed. 7

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. Means for locking the steering post of a vehicle against rotation, comprising a casing through which the steering post extends, an armsecured within the casing and having a bifurcated extremity, a member carried by the post for rotation therewith, and movable between the separated portions of the arm defined by said bifurcations, a locking bolt, saidmember carried by the post being designed to receive said bolt, said separated portions having alined openings for the reception of said bolt, said bolt being normally arranged to permit rotation of the post and said member, andmeans for actuating said bolt.

- 2. Means for locking the steering post of a vehicle, against rotation, comprising a casing through which the steering post extends, a bolt arranged within the casing, means for supporting said belt for sliding movement, a member projecting from one Wall of the casing, a lug formed on said member at a point in its length, a manually operable lever associated with the belt for actuating the latter, said lever being arranged to alternately engage the opposite sides of said lug, whereby said lever is maintained in adjusted position, an element carried by said post for rotatidn therewith, and designed to receive said bolt.

3. Means for looking a steeringpost of a a vehicle against rotation, comprising a support to which the steering post extends, a bolt mounted for sliding movement, means for supporting the bolt, a member carried by said post and designed to receive the bolt, said bolt being normally separated from said member, a shaft journaled for rotation, a member projecting from the shaft and associated with the bolt for sliding the latter, toward and away from said member, a lever for rotating the shaft, means for holding the lever in a given position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LEWIS DIEB OLT. 

